Pre-Med, Pre-Vet, Pre-Dental Program

Getting the undergraduate experiences necessary to qualify a student for medical, dental, or veterinary school can be challenging. While no specific undergraduate major is required, Biology or Biochemistry combined with field specific courses is strongly recommended. Faculty members at The College of Saint Rose help to ensure that students who want to go to medical, dental, or veterinary school have the advice, coursework, and support they need to help them prepare an effective application. Students are guided by the Pre-Med committee, a group of six faculty members who are dedicated to keeping students on-track for their chosen field.

Pre-Med Committee

The Pre-Medical Program Committee includes four faculty members from the Sciences, one Psychology faculty member, and one faculty member from the Arts or Humanities. Although the official name of the committee is the Pre-Medical Committee, it guides Pre-Med, Pre-Dental, and Pre-Vet students.

Coursework

Students in the Saint Rose pre-med, pre-dental, pre-vet programs must complete and submit completed evaluation forms (obtained from the committee chair, Dr. Brian Jensen) for each of the following:

Two biology courses

Two English courses

MAT 190 Calculus

A second mathematics course

PHY 190 and 191 Fundamentals of Physics I & II

Four chemistry courses (including one in general chemistry and one in organic chemistry)

Credential Review

Each spring semester, the Pre-medical Program Committee reviews each student's progress by examining individual academic progress reports and performance in core courses (listed above). Students receive the committee's written recommendations and advice to resolve any problems and to promote strong academic performance.

Mock Medical School Interviews

As a part of the ongoing evaluation and support process, the committee offers each pre-med, pre-vet, and pre-dental student an opportunity to participate in mock interviews designed to prepare students for this important part of the medical school application process.

Letters of Recommendation

In the fall of the senior year, the members of the Pre-Medical Program Committee conduct a thorough evaluation of the student's performance and subsequently compose a committee letter of evaluation to support the student's applications to medical, dental, or veterinary school. Students are also advised to solicit letters of recommendation from individual faculty members who have taught them during their undergraduate program.

Additional Activities

Because entrance to medical, dental, and veterinary schools is highly competitive, we advise our students to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities to enhance their application packages. Many pre-medical students prepare for the required Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) by supplementing the strong instruction we offer in core courses with an MCAT preparatory course. The Pre-Medical Program Committee also encourages students to attend our monthly Science Colloquium Series on current issues in Science. Pre-med, pre-dental, and pre-vet students also are advised to participate in the opportunities we offer for undergraduate research and to engage in volunteer and service-learning activities that bring Science and Medicine to life. Many students also choose to pursue internships in a variety of exciting clinical and professional settings.

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News & Events

DOCTORS' GUILDLearn about some Saint Rose Science Alumni and find links to the Doctors' Guild Newsletter, which contains updates on recent alumni and faculty activities.

Grads on Science at Saint Rose

"I really liked that all of the classes and labs [at Saint Rose] were small, and I felt like I got to know many of my professors very well. I was comfortable asking professors for help with anything, and they were very available outside of class. I had a very easy time getting recommendations letters for medical school admissions, because my professors really knew me and my strengths. Friends of mine who went to much larger schools had to present themselves to committees of people who didn't really know them in order to get recommendation letters. The professors were always willing to speak candidly about future career and school plans as well."

Cara Grome ‘06Currently at SUNY Upstate Medical University

"The science program at Saint Rose has really helped me to be ahead of my classmates in vet school ... particularly, classes like Immunology, Anatomy and Physiology, Pathogenic Microbiology, and Cell Biology. The depth of material was enough to be challenging at Saint Rose, but I remember the majority of it when major concepts in vet school are hit upon. It allows me to continually build on my foundation that I received from Saint Rose. Having a firm understanding of the concepts is something I see lacking in a lot of my classmates. I attribute my understanding to my experience at Saint Rose. In addition to the science courses, my liberal education background has given me a well-rounded view on multiple subjects which have indirectly benefited me on more than one occasion in vet school."

Christina Marino ‘08Currently at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine